Black Josh

A product of the fertile Manchester underground, Black Josh has spent the better part of a decade carving out a niche as one of the UK’s most unpredictable and technically gifted lyricists. As a key member of the Cult of The Damned collective and a standout voice on the Blah Records roster, his style is defined by a nonchalant, gravelly delivery that masks a razor-sharp, often surrealist wit. Navigating the murky intersections of boom-bap, grime, and skeletal trap, he has earned a reputation for a specific kind of northern cynicism that feels both street-level and avant-garde—a versatility that eventually brought him into the cross-genre orbit of Easy Star Records. His presence in the Easy Star catalog was solidified through his contribution to Chiliagon, the ambitious 2019 project from legendary dancehall icon Spragga Benz. On the track "Link Up," Black Josh joined forces with fellow UK stalwarts ILLAMAN and Matthew Allman, showcasing a seamless synergy between Kingston’s foundational riddims and London’s gritty sound-system culture. This collaboration places him within a creative lineage of UK-based roster mates like The Skints and Gentleman’s Dub Club, who similarly prioritize the blending of traditional reggae structures with contemporary urban textures. By bridging the gap between independent hip-hop and modern dub, Black Josh remains a vital, offbeat contributor to the label’s increasingly diverse sonic landscape.